- November 23, 2024
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Seabreeze junior Parker Bauknecht throws a pitch to Mainland's Elijah Burgess. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Trevor Pittman, Mainland's third pitcher in the game, got the final two outs in the fifth inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Roan Rasmussen aims the radar gun on the pitch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Austin Upchurch (left) and Malachi Morgan run to the outfield for a post-game huddle. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze coach Jeff Lemon talks to his players after the game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rustin Hurley runs to first after getting hit by a pitch in the first inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Cole Snowden watches a low pitch. in the second inning. Snowden walked three times in the game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland freshman Jeremiah Peach throws a pitch to Cole Snowden. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Eric Bell watches the ball after connecting on a pitch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland center fielder Jordan Payne makes a diving catch in the fourth. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland's Jordan Payne stands on first base after getting hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. Payne went on to score the Bucs' only run on an RBI single by Amare Campbell. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze third baseman Rustin Hurley fields a grounder and throws to first baseman Cole Snowden for an out in the fourth. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Austin Upchurch hits a double to deep center field to start an eight-run rally in the fifth inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze players gather in the outfield after the game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Zane Barron drives in the Sandcrabs' first run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland starter Collin Wilson throws a pitch in the top of the second inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Parker Bauknecht throws a pitch to Mainland's Elijah Burgess. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Parker Bauknecht throws a pitch to Mainland's Elijah Burgess. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland freshman Jeremiah Peach throws a pitch to Cole Snowden. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Noah Katsikos leads off the fourth inning with a walk. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze junior Parker Bauknecht threw mostly fastballs in his first varsity win, but it wasn’t the speed of his pitches that led to his success against Mainland. It was the speed between his pitches.
“Whenever he's working slower, he’s allowing the batter to kind of dictate the timing,” Seabreeze coach Jeff Lemon said. “But when he's in control of his tempo, Parker pretty much controls the game.”
After allowing a couple of batters on base in the first, Bauknecht picked up the pace and allowed just one run on two hits over four innings as the Sandcrabs defeated the Bucs 13-1 on March 4 at Mainland’s field.
Seabreeze (4-1-1) scored eight runs in the fifth inning to win by the mercy rule. Zane Barron drove in four runs for the Sandcrabs. His bases-loaded double to the right field fence in the fifth knocked in three runs. Mason Sanders added three RBIs, and Rustin Hurley, Jake Deising and Sam Donlick each scored two runs.
Nine different Sandcrabs scored at least one run in the game.
Today was probably the first day when one through nine in the lineup, everyone contributed with quality at-bats.”
— JEFF LEMON, Seabreeze baseball coach
“Today was probably the first day when one through nine in the lineup, everyone contributed with quality at-bats,” Lemon said.
The Sandcrabs scored four runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead and then blew the game open in the fifth when they sent 13 batters to the plate.
Bauknecht was efficient, throwing 46 of his 68 pitches for strikes.
“In the first inning you could see he was a little lethargic, but by batter three, four, he got into his tempo,” Lemon said.
Mainland scored its only run in the fourth as Jordan Payne was hit by a pitch, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI-single by Amare Campbell. Brauknecht gave up one walk and struck out six, including two in the first when the Bucs (2-2) stranded men on first and second.
Brody Harris pitched the fifth for Seabreeze, retiring the side in order to end the game.
“I had a little struggle (in the first inning),” Bauknecht said. “I would get behind in the count and then I would attack. In the second inning I locked it in.”
Bauknecht pitched on the JV team last year. Lemon said the right-hander started showing early in preseason that he could be a starter this year.
“We saw that he could be a guy we could rely on to pound the zone, throw strikes early in counts and kind of control the at-bats in his favor,” Lemon said.
In his first start against Deltona on Feb. 27, he allowed one earned run in three innings and left the game with Seabreeze trailing 3-2. But the Sandcrabs scored three runs in the fourth to win 5-3.
“The last game was my first varsity start and I was a little bit nervous,” Bauknecht said. “This game definitely gave me confidence. I worked hard (over the summer) to be a starting pitcher, and I finally got my opportunity.”
Collin Wilson started on the mound for the Bucs and gave up four runs in 1.3 innings. Freshmen Jeremiah Peach and Trevor Pittman pitched the rest of the way.
“We knew coming in Collin wasn't going to get past about 45 pitches. He's coming off a foot injury, so I didn't want to put too much on him too early,” Mainland coach Alvin Mallory said.
“We have a young team,” said Mallory, who is in his fourth year with Bucs. “We have some young guys who are proud to be Buccaneers and are playing that way. Our older guys have been in the program since we got started and have now grown up, and I'm proud of them.”
The Sandcrabs were scheduled to play two more road games against Menendez on March 6 and New Smyrna Beach on March 8 before returning home on March 12 to face Menendez again.
Mainland was scheduled to host Father Lopez on March 5 and travel to Crescent City on March 12.
